The majority of states on the Eastern seaboard have adopted a liberal stance towards gambling in recent years. So far Virginia online casinos hosted “in-state” are illegal, any that do exist are not regulated, and they operate beyond the remits of the law. There are hopes within the state that the territory will soon become closer aligned with neighboring states West Virginia and New Jersey. But progress has been slow, the consensus in the state legislature is to move slowly and avoid a controversial confrontation with the old party conservative Republicans. Throughout this article we’ll explore in more details exactly how much progress has been made, the history and the culture of the Virginia gambling industry.

Available Casino Games in Virginia

There are unfortunately no licensed brick & mortar casinos in the Dominion State. However, like many territories in the United States, legal loopholes exist, and can be taken advantage of. The interstate casino network which allows residents of states around the country to play and gamble online from sites hosted in legal territories is live and well. Gamblers residing inside Virginia, which itself has no explicit laws on people playing casinos online, can indeed connect and play at these operators. Below you can see an overview of the top games you can expect to access with the inter-state casino network.

Biggest State Land-Based Casinos

Currently the state of Virginia has no licensed land based brick & mortar casinos. But this is expected to change as many of the neighboring territories operate a licensed industry. This issue is becoming heavily debated in the State Legislature, since West Virginia built a huge multi-complex casino right on the border of the two states, with millions of dollars moving across the border, the pressure is on lawmakers to take action.

History of Casino Gambling in Virginia

Virginia has a rich history with gambling, and early settlers were known to have gambled and wagered against one another. But with the onset of tight legal restrictions, it has been difficult for a commercial industry to establish itself in the Old Dominion territory. If the domino effect takes hold and states quickly start updating their online gambling laws, Virginia is likely to be one of the first ones to do so. Take a look below at the timeline we have created explaining the key milestones on the journey of Virginia to becoming a legalized gambling territory.

Casino Gambling Age in Virginia

The state of Virginia is not the most accommodating towards online casinos, but it hasn’t outright prohibited their usage. Throughout the entire history of the state, nobody has ever been prosecuted or had charges brought against them for playing in online casinos. The inter-state casino network that exists within the United States can be accessed from Virginia, so long as you’re of age.

• Online Casino Age
  In order to play at the majority of casinos you’ll need to be 18 years old. However, some will require that you’re 21 years old.
• Alcohol Age
  Alcohol consumption in the United States is one of the age limits that can be considered high. 21 years old is the age to buy a beer.
• Weed Age
  Marijuana in Virginia is completely prohibited, both for commercial sale, medical prescription and personal consumption

Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention

One of the key advantages of making a legalized gambling industry in your state is the government bodies and agencies that spawn from it. Responsible gambling, and tackling gambling addiction are two main responsibilities of licensed operators. With a regulated casino market comes available funding to launch these agencies, and directly help those that may be suffering in silence under the current conditions. Without any form of licensed gambling in Virginia punters are at the mercy of “off-shore” vendors, in some cases these are un-regulated and hosted in countries with completely different laws to the United States with regards to customer responsibility and data protections.

Can I Play Without Deposit?

Playing at a casino without making any form of financial commitment is not something that is usually possible, in most circumstances you won’t be able to experience the selection of games without making a deposit. However, accessing casinos hosted “off-shore” it may sometimes be possible to play with trial funds and test out the game mechanics and chances at a multitude of offered games. With the introduction of a regulated industry this will certainly change, and you’ll see the emergence of many casinos offering customers free spins and trial funds to play through.

Upcoming Casino Regulation and Expected Changes

Relative to the legal framework proposed by the Supreme Court, and implemented throughout the country, Virginia has very harsh and restrictive laws on online casinos / gambling. However, the fight is ongoing, and many skilled and motivated lawmakers have taken it upon themselves to bring about new legislation that is more in tune with the times and consensus of the state. Sports betting is on the verge of being legalized completely, despite being shot down in the Virginia General Assembly, further motions have been filed. Land based casinos are also being widely considered, as neighboring states operate highly lucrative and successful industry, the raw data is too loud to ignore. As for online casinos, these will likely be introduced with the land based casinos. All of this depends on convincing highly conservative Republican lawmakers that games like Poker involve some skill and shouldn’t merely be regarded as gambling. It will be an uphill battle before we see a legal framework such as Pennsylvania implemented in Virginia, but progress has and is being made.

Casino Guides for Nearby States

• Ohio
• Kentucky
• West Virginia
• Pennsylvania